I’m starting to feel settled in to things with my new job, and after a fairly uneventful week, Andy and I were happy to head to Whidbey for a low-key cabin weekend. I spent most of the week looking forward to an afternoon drinking rose in the sun on the deck. Of course nothing works out as planned and by the time I finally opened up the bottle of rose I’ve been saving, the warm sunny day had turned overcast. Still, it’s hard to beat the views from the deck on Whidbey and we had an excellent day that included a stop at my favorite book shop, a few beers enjoyed on the patio at Double Bluff Brewing, and a late lunch at Rocket Taco that of rhubarb margaritas and far too many tacos. Sunday we took it easy, taking our time over coffee and breakfast before getting packed up to head home. We weren’t in any hurry to get home, so before lining up for the ferry, we made a stop at Bayview Corner for lunch, beers, and a stop by one of my favorite garden shops. I managed to resist purchasing any new plants - although their gorgeous monstera were very tempting - but I did buy a few new pots for all the cuttings I’ve accumulated. Now that I’m not killing all my plants by overwatering them, it’s amazing how they’re starting to pile up!
Read moreLife: Week 20
In a stressful and overwhelming spring, with many long days spent alone in my stuffy home office, Alpine Trails Book Club has twice provided exactly the escape I needed to maintain my sanity. This time around, it our weekend away as much closer to home, and it was my turn to host a few members of our group Saturday night at Andy's family cabin near Lake Wenatchee. We left home to a light spring rain and arrived to sunshine, wildflowers, and an unholy number of mosquitoes at the cabin. Being so early in the year, I hadn't expected the tiny bloodsuckers and we'd come completely unprepared! Thankfully there was some (probably very old, but still functional) bug spray in the cabin, and others had thought to bring some. The smoky fire we built seemed to help too, but after an hour or so, a group of us fled to the park at the south end of Lake Wenatchee for a peaceful walk that provided an escape from the swarm. By the time we returned to the cabin for dinner, it had started to rain, but we didn't let that stop us from roasting sausages over the fire! Some strategically placed bark kept both the fire an our dinner dry while we hid on the covered deck of the cabin. Sunday morning, we packed up and headed for Leavenworth for a pre-hike coffee (with a fantastic view!) before meeting the group for our hike on Icicle Ridge.
Read moreLife: Week 20
As work slows down for the summer, I'm beginning to have the energy and time for other things in my life. I've finally started to catch up on my towering backlog of books, made a dent in the mess our apartment had become, and wonderfully even had time for a walk after work! It was the perfect week for it too, since the days have been increasingly sunny. I'm sure soon I'll be whining about the heat and sun, but for now, for a few days at a time, I'm happy for the sunshine. It was especially appreciated on our Saturday hike along Boulder River for the May Alpine Trails Book Club meeting. The river was raging, and a much milkier shade than when Andy and I visited last year in April. After the hike, we stopped in Arlington for lunch and a beer at Skookum Brewing. Definitely one of my favorite things about Washington - there's always a good beer stop on the way home from the trail!
Read moreLife: Week 20
If my weekly posts were accurately representative of my daily life, at least 50% of the photos in my posts would look like the two below. Work has continued to be hectic, but things are beginning to slow down. Soon I may even be able to take the occasional weekday off for hiking! Wednesday night, I left work a little early so Andy and I could have dinner at our favorite restaurant in Redmond - Stone House. Once upon a time, we lived within walking distance, and for several years, we went often enough that all the staff knew us well enough to recognize my voice when I'd call to make a reservation. We live further away and don't go as often anymore, but the food is as incredible as ever.
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